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CHAMPIONS

2006 U.S. Girls' Junior Champ Shin Breaks Through for First LPGA Win

By David Shefter, USGA

| May 2, 2016 | Far Hills, N.J.

Jenny Shin, the 2006 U.S. Girls' Junior champion, finally broke through for a victory in her 133rd LPGA Tour start. (USGA/Hunter Martin)

It has been a banner season thus far for U.S. Girls’ Junior champions on the LPGA Tour. Lexi Thompson (2008) and Minjee Lee (2012) have recorded victories, and Ariya Jutanugarn (2011) held a late lead in the year’s first major championship, the ANA Inspiration, before 2012 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion and world No. 1 Lydia Ko rallied to seize the title.

On Sunday at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas, 2006 Girls’ Junior champion Jenny Shin claimed her first LPGA Tour victory. Shin, who was born in the Republic of Korea but moved to Southern California with her family at the age of 9, posted weekend rounds of 65-67 to win the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout by two strokes.

Shin played bogey-free golf over the final 43 holes. She finished at 14-under 270.

Prior to Sunday, Shin had the third-most top-10 finishes (20) on the LPGA Tour without a victory.

As a 13-year-old, Shin defeated Vicky Hurst in 37 holes at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., in the first 36-hole final in U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship history.

Four years later, she turned pro in March of her high school senior year. 

Four other USGA champions posted top-10 finishes at Las Colinas: Jutanugarn and U.S. Women’s Open champions Eun-Hee Ji (2009), Na Yeon Choi (2012) and Cristie Kerr (2007), who hit what was perhaps the most memorable shot of the weekend.

David Shefter is a senior staff writer for the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.

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